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(No Model.) J. A. CRANE 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

BOOK COVER. No. 299,914. Patented June a, 1884 Q 0 I I i I 1 1 1 I l l la o o o a Hlllll 6 .w I 2 \y II/IIIIIIIIIIII/I/II/II/I/I/I ATTOR EYS.

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J. A. CRANE.

v I BOOK COVER. I No. 299,914. Patented June 3, 1884.

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Nirn STATES Arnivr CFFicE.

JAMES A. CRANE,

OF WVESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERT B. CRANE,OF SAME PLACE.

BOOK-COVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,914, dated June 3,1884.

Application filed October 25, 1883.

[ all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES A. CRANE, a citizen of the Un'ited States,and a resident of VVestfieldJn the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBook-Covers; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,-

which will enable others skilled in the art to ID which it appertains tomake and use the same,

' reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention has relation to the manufacture of covers for blanlebooks,printed books,

I 5 albums, and analogous articles; and it consists in the art orprocess which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of the seamless paper tube from which my cover is made. Fig. 2shows this tube placed in its moist or soft state upon the mold or formon which it is to be shaped. Fig. 3 is asection, on an enlarged scalethrough the form and flattened v tube, on line 00 a", Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa perspective view of the mold or form,with the paper tube which is toform the covers removed. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the cover, back,and sides, showing one form of making the 0 flexible hinges; and Fig. 6is a perspective view of the finished cover complete and ready for useby the binder or blank-book manufacturer.

Like letters of reference indicate corre- 3 5 sponding parts in all thefigures.

In carrying out my invention I use an endless or seamless tube of moistpaper made in any desired manner and of any desired thickness, accordingto the number and thickness of the layers or laminae of paper composingthe tube. This tube (shown at A in the drawiugs) is placed, in its moistor wet state, upon a form, F, of wood or any other suitable material,which may be either solid or made in This form is of a widthcorresponding to the widthof two covers when placed edge to edge, and ofa thickness equal to the thickness of the book for which the cover isintended, while its length may be for (N0 modem the length of a singlecover only; or it may be long enough for two, three, four, or morepairsof covers, as shown in Fig. 2, in which a paper tube for two pairs ofcovers is shown upon the form, the dotted line marked a 1) indicatingthe dividing-line between the covers endwise, and line 0 d marking thedivision or line of separation sidewise,"so that it will be seen thatfour separate covers are made. on this form, marked respectively 1, 2,3, and 4. "This stage of my process is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

In order to give the back of the book (shown at B) the raised orembossed sections or panels B, usual on blank-bookssueh as ledgers,records, &c.tlie form F may be made with projections F, as shown, sothat as the moistpaper tube shrinks upon the form in the process ofdrying, thereby hugging the form closely, the paper covering willconform to these shapes, by which the raised back-panels 7o B will beformed. It isobvious that, if desired, the sides of the form may besimilarly provided with raised panels, thereby forming raised orembossed panels for the ornamentation of the sides of the cover. Inorder to 7 5' prevent shrinking endwise of the moist-paper tube orenvelope during the process of drying or baking,'its top and bottomedges may be fastened to the form by nails, clamps, or in an yothersuitable manner, as shown at Gin Fig. 2. The form, with its paperenvelope, is next placed in a kiln and dried slowly at a suitabletemperature. This drying or baking process causes the paper to shrinkupon the form, as stated above,thus, by the contraction of the severallayers or laminae which compose the paper envelope, forming the wholeinto a solid homogeneous mass. After drying, this paper envelope is cutacross the line a b and lengthwise across line 0 d on both sides of theform, 0 thus, in the present illustration of my mode of procedure,making four separate covers. Vhere thick covers are used, however, as inthe manufacture of ledgers, record-books, and blank-books of the largerdenominations, I make a groove or channel, D, parallel to the back, ineach of the sides or covers 0, along the line where the sides join theback, for the purpose of permitting of the easy opening or unfolding ofthe cover after the hinges have been put in.

The waterproofing of the covers may be done either while the covers areupon the form uncut or afterward. I have found by experiment that thebetter way is to dip the covers in the waterproofingbath after they havebeen removed from the form, and then after draining replacing them intheir former position upon the form, whereby I effectually preventwarping of the paper during the process of drying or baking after thewaterproofing-bath. One of the methods employed by me is to dip orimmerse the covers, after the first drying, in a bath of rawlinseed-oil, which is readily absorbed by the porous paper fabric; andafter the pores have been filled with the oil (or other waterproofingsubstance) the covers are placed in a kiln to be dried or baked a secondtime, which so hardens the paper that it will become as hard and toughas the best sole-leather.

The next step is the finishing or smoothing of the sides and back of thecover by planing them and rubbing them down in any desired manner topresent a smooth and polished ivory-like surface. The back-panels B aretrimmed with suitable tools to present a neat and finished appearance;and, if desired, leather bands or panels may be glued or cemented uponthe outside of the covers, as shown at I in Fig. 6 of the drawings, forthe purpose of preventing the cover from scratching the desk, as well asfor ornamentation. The corners may be rounded and the edges trimmed andbeveled, if desired. The sides are severed from the back by cuttinglengthwise across the back and cover, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5 ofthe drawings.

It is obvious that any desired color may be given to the covers duringthe manufacture, and that theyinay be ornamented in any suitable mannerby embossing, gilding, painting, 850. As there are no leather bands ortrimmings over or around the edges, these will not wear, as do theleather bindings of ordinary covers, especially the bottom edge, whereall the wear comes in placing a book upon its ap-. propriate shelf orremoving it therefrom; These covers are therefore particularly suitablefor county records and other books which are in frequent demand andsubjected to rough usage.

The leaves or body of the book may be fastened to the back and cover inany desired manner, as the book-binder or blank-book manufacturer maysee fit; and it is obvious that my cover may be used either as a permanent binding or as a temporary binder.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States I The hereinbefore-described art orprocess of manufacturing book-covers, which consists in forming thecovers in pairs from an endless or seamless tube composed of successivelayers of paper over a shaped form or mold by drying and shrinking thepaper tube upon the form, cutting-the dried and shrunk paper envelopelengthwise on both sides of the form, waterproofing the paper body thusformed, disconnecting or severing the rigid sides of the cover from theback and again uniting the same by a flexible hinge, and finally planingand finishing the sides and back, substantially in the manner and forthe purpose shown and set forth. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffiXed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. CRANE.

Vitnesses:

LOUIS BAGGER, HoMnR B. S'rEvENs.

